Keeping it local this Christmas: the rise of the community co-op

If you're looking for quirky Christmas gifts, this could be the ideal present for a real ale fan: the opportunity to become part-owner of a pub for less than the cost of a round of drinks. For as little as £10, you can buy a stake in a Brighton local.

Alternatively, if you're hunting for a gift for a book lover, £20 is enough to buy them a share in an independent bookshop whose supporters include War Horse author Michael Morpurgo.

Meanwhile, bigger spenders looking for a potentially decent return on their cash are being invited to invest £500-plus in a scheme to install solar panels on 240 homes in the Newport area of south Wales.

These are just three of the latest community ventures looking for backers. Over the past couple of years, Guardian Money has featured a number of these "community co-operatives", which, typically, aim to bring vital amenities back to life, secure the future of valued local businesses or generate renewable energy. We've written about pubs, shops, a housing co-op, a music venue ... the list goes on.

These ventures are becoming increasingly common, and often there is an opportunity for people to invest in them by buying shares.

Some offer a return in the form of interest while, with others, the rewards are described as "social" rather than financial.

The pub – for £10

The Bevendean Hotel in the Moulsecoomb area of Brighton has had a troubled past – it was closed down by the police in 2010 following complaints of violence – but is now set to make a comeback after local residents revealed plans to reopen it as a community-owned enterprise.

The group of locals, which includes the vicar, formed a co-operative and has just launched a share issue with support from the Co-operative Enterprise Hub (it also backed the other two schemes highlighted here). It is looking to raise up to £200,000 to reopen the pub and establish a much-needed community facility. The minimum investment is £10, the maximum is £20,000. By buying shares you would become a co-owner of the Bevendean.

"This is an investment in our community but we would welcome investors who have always dreamt of owning their own pub. Indeed, we think it could make the perfect Christmas gift for the dad who has everything," says Warren Carter, a member of the co-op.

Alongside the real ale and the locally sourced food, the group plans to set up a cafe, a meeting room for societies, a community kitchen and an "edible pub garden".

The aim is to be as sustainable as possible, and it will look at eventually producing its own electricity.

However, this particular scheme isn't about making money; the shares cannot increase in value and, at the moment, there are no plans to pay any interest, so this should be viewed as a "social investment" (you will be able to sell your stake, although not for the first five years).

The rules allow the co-op to offer interest payments if the level of trading success justified it.

The management committee includes Father John Wall, team rector at St Andrew, Moulsecoomb, who is looking forward to becoming a regular.

"I always think a real community needs a good church and a good pub," he says. He adds that he mentioned "the Bevy" (as it's been dubbed) to the new Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, who was very interested – and has even given him £10 to buy a share in the venture.

The share offer is open until 28 February.

The bookshop – for £20

What's described as the only independent bookshop in mid-Devon is poised to start a new chapter following the launch of a community share issue aimed at securing its future.

So if you're backing independent booksellers in their battle against "tax-avoiding" Amazon, here's a chance to put your money where your mouth is.

A few months ago, a group of residents set up a co-operative called Crediton Community Bookshop to take over The Book Shop in High Street, Crediton, whose owner Jill Holden is planning to retire.

The co-op is looking to raise £44,000 to buy the business, including stock, fixtures and fittings, plus provide six months' working capital, and has set itself a target of raising £33,000 by 28 February. Anyone over 16 can become a member by buying shares. The minimum investment is £20, the maximum is £20,000.

Ken McKechnie, one of the founder members, is hopeful they will be able to secure the shop "for the next generation of readers and writers", adding: "Our main goal is to benefit the community by supporting local authors, promoting reading and literacy for all ages, with children's books a speciality, and providing a meeting place and focus for reading and writing groups."

Devon-based Morpurgo has said: "Every town needs a great bookshop. Crediton has one. Long may it continue."

As with the pub share issue, this initiative will not make you wealthy. The offer document makes clear that the shares "can go down in value but they cannot increase in value above their original price", and no interest will be paid. "The return on these shares must be viewed as a social dividend," it states.

The share offer is open until 28 February.

The solar scheme – for £500

If you are looking for a green investment offering a potentially decent return – estimated at 7% a year – you may want to take a look at a solar scheme launched by a new venture called Gen Community, whose chairman, James Alexander, was a co-founder of pioneering "peer-to-peer" lending website Zopa.

Gen Community is an "industrial and provident society" that has been set up to develop and invest in low-carbon energy projects, and is aiming to raise £1m to install solar panels on 240 homes in the Newport area of south Wales. The minimum investment is £500, and the share offer runs until 31 January.

According to the share offer document, the project aims to "help alleviate fuel poverty for low-income residents through the deployment of community-owned generating capacity. This is projected to reduce annual fuel bills by around £38,000 for 240 homes, equivalent to a circa 25% annual electricity bill reduction."

At the same time, Gen Community aims to provide its members with a 7% annual rate of return, though this is not guaranteed.

Another site worth checking out is Abundance, which describes itself as a "community finance platform" enabling people to put money into UK renewable energy schemes and receive a regular cash return.

It says anyone with family and friends concerned about the planet can treat them to "the perfect Christmas present": their own share in a community wind turbine.

A spokesman says it is possible for people to "gift" a debenture (the financial product that secures the share in the profits made) either directly to another adult, or by designating it to a child or grandchild, with the investment becoming formally theirs at age 18. This gift can be given in amounts as small as £5, he adds.